With almost 12,000 lakes over 10 acres in size, Minnesota certainly deserves the nickname “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” Chances are, if you live in Minnesota, one of these lakes is just around the corner. And chances are, if you are a Minnesotan looking for information on being a Licensed Practical Nurse in Minnesota, you’ll find some of that information just around the corner (or further down this page). The following are sections of information on different aspects of Practical Nursing, such as basic information about schooling, general job functions of LPNs in Minnesota, and licensing requirements for LPNs in Minnesota. The last section contains a list of Minnesota schools that may offer Practical Nursing courses in Minnesota.

Practical Nurse Schooling: Basic Information

Studying to be an LPN in Minnesota usually consists of labs, clinicals, and classes. This allows for both a theoretical and practical framework of LPN education. Practical Nursing students might have to take both general education and nursing classes; general education may include classes like English and psychology, math and science, while nursing classes may include a range of medical topics. Besides learning theory and instruction in class, students will also be able to learn practical skills and perform those skills in a laboratory setting, where they can practice each other or on medical mannequins while an instructor watches and guides. This provides a foundation of knowledge and skill that students then take to clinicals. Clinicals may allow students to take on LPN responsibilities as they learn the job. Students will usually have fewer and easier responsibilities at first; as time goes and the students become stronger in their knowledge and skill, their responsibility load in clinicals may grow heavier. This prepares them for having an LPN job once they graduate from the schooling program.

General Minnesota LPN Job Duties

Hospitals, home health care settings, nursing homes, children’s homes, doctors’ offices, and medical clinics are just some of the variety of locations that LPNs in Minnesota may work at. Because they work in such a wide variety of locations, they also have a wide variety of job duties, and what an LPN in one setting does may be different than what an LPN in another job setting does. For example, LPNs at a hospital may be required to administer medications via IV (if the LPN has been taught to do so), while LPNs in a children’s home may assist disabled children with everyday tasks like eating and brushing teeth.

The variety of job duties that LPNs tends to be large and may include a lot of different things. LPNs may assist patients at their bedside, keep track of their health status, report to doctors, take medical measurements, and other various tasks. If LPNs have had special schooling, they may be able to do other tasks, such as work with IVs and assist with dialysis. Other duties that LPNs may have vary but can include completing paperwork, supervising others, and administering medication by mouth or via injection.

Information about LPN Licensing Requirements in Minnesota

Minnesota has basic requirements in place for getting licensed as an LPN, and the process is fairly simple. A basic description of requirements and the application process follow, but for more information, visit the Minnesota Board of Nursing website online.

To become licensed in Minnesota as a practical nurse, an applicant must graduate from a practical nurse schooling program. When the applicant has completed the program, he must submit an application along with the appropriate fee. The school that the person graduated from must submit a notarized Confirmation of Program Completion, as well, which is included in the LPN application packet. If the school is located in Minnesota, that school can also complete the confirmation online. If the applicant is approved, he will get an authorization to test (ATT) and will then have the chance to schedule a testing date to take the NCLEX. Licensing is then dependent upon passing the NCLEX.

The NCLEX is an exam that is computerized and personal. The program chooses the next question for each applicant based on the previous question’s answer. Applicants may receive get a varied number of questions on the test depending on how they answer the questions as the test goes on; the number of questions is not set for each test. The exam isn’t scored like a tradition exam where a person taking it must get a set minimum of questions right, nor is it scored by comparing applicant’s answers to one another; rather, applicants must meet a predetermined standard within the program. Applicants may receive as much as six hours to finish the exam.

For information on atypical licensing situations, such as having completed a foreign nursing program, or for any other questions, such as about having a criminal history as an LPN applicant, visit the Minnesota Board of Nursing website linked in the first paragraph of this specific section.

Minnesota: Community Colleges and Schools

Minnesota is known for having a large amount of lakes, but Minnesota also has a vast array of colleges too. Some of these colleges and schools may have programs for students looking to study practical nursing.

Anoka Ramsey Community College
11200 Mississippi Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433
(763) 433-1100

Century College
3300 Century Ave N, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
(651) 779-3200

Dakota Country Technical College
1300 145th St E, Rosemount, MN 55068
(651) 423-8000

Inver Hills Community College
2500 80th St E, Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076
(651) 450-3000

Itasca Community College
1851 US-169, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
(218) 322-2300

Hennepin Technical College
9000 Brooklyn Blvd, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
(952) 995-1300

Minneapolis Community and Technical College
1501 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 659-6000

North Hennepin Community College
7411 85th Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN 55445
(763) 424-0702

Northland Community and Technical College
1101 MN-1, Thief River Falls, MN 56701
(218) 683-8800

Northwest Technical College
905 Grant Avenue SE, Bemidji, MN 56601
(218) 333-6600

Riverland Community College
1900 8th Ave NW, Austin, MN 55912
(507) 433-0600

Rochester Community and Technical College
851 30th Ave SE, Rochester, MN 55904
(507) 285-7210

Southeast Technical College
308 Pioneer Rd, Red Wing, MN 55066
(651) 385-6300

St. Cloud Community and Technical College
1540 Northway Dr, St Cloud, MN 56303
(320) 308-5000

St. Paul College
235 Marshall Ave, St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 846-1600

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